5 Things You NEED to Know About Your AOL 9.0 Subscribers
February 29, 2008
In Fall 2003, America Online (AOL) released its brand new AOL Version 9. (Have you noticed all the TV ads?) AOL estimates that up to 50% of their users were using the new version by the end of December 2003.
The biggest new feature with AOL 9 is its aggressive method of reducing unsolicited e-mail (sp^m) for its users. Basically, AOL wants users to customize their own inboxes and view or receive only the messages that they choose.
While the crackdown is a noble endeavor, it puts legitimate e-mail publishers in the crossfire — people like us who have worked hard to ensure that everyone on our list has opted-in and given us permission to contact them repeatedly.
To make sure that your AOL subscribers are receiving YOUR e-mails, here are a few things you should know.
So Much About META Tags!
February 29, 2008
I’ve written about META tags in the past, and I thought I’d help you expand your search engine optimization efforts and increase your web hits.
Rule #1: META tags always go in between the HEAD tags on your website. Rule #2: NEVER include any line breaks in any META tag!
Most everyone knows the two basic META tags: keywords and description.
Keywords should be in a descending order of importance. Move your most important keywords to the front, and don’t repeat yourself (e.g. auto,parts,auto parts,Auto Parts). Keep the list short, to about 25 keywords. If you cater to more than one ethnic group of people, consider keywords in other languages. Lastly, eliminate spaces between the words. Make them “comma” instead of “comma space”.
Descriptions should also be kept short and to the point. Around 100-125 characters is about the max usable length. Make sure you use a few important keywords in your description, be informative but brief.
Web designers should include these tags as well:
These three tags may change if you are the owner of the company/website but not the creator. In that case, the first two lines would be about the company owner, while the third should be the creator or the creator’s web address.
7 Tricks for More Holiday Web Sales
February 28, 2008
“Black Friday” has just passed, marking the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. Web sales are already at a record high this year and the fourth quarter of 2004 is projected to bring in $22 billion in online sales alone ? a whole third of the sales for the entire year. (Source: eMarketer.com)
And since Friday, your in-box has been overflowing with all those new orders… right?
Or maybe not.
If you’re like many small retailers, you’ve waited until the last minute to start thinking about your online holiday sales. You’ve been too busy, too short-staffed, too distracted, or perhaps even too confused to take the necessary steps to get your Web site ship-shape for the holidays.
Don’t despair! you can still take advantage of the holiday sales season ifyou take immediate action.
Here are seven things you can do RIGHT NOW to boost your online holiday sales this year.
1. “Hello, is anybody home?” Update your Web site. If your home page still boasts “Summer Specials,” this means you! Put photos of your best sellers out front, and highlight any holiday specials.
Culture and Website Localization
February 27, 2008
Culture and Website Localization
With the rise in ownership of computers and internet usage growing daily, the internet is fast becoming the primary port of call for information, shopping and services. In addition, those computer and internet users are increasingly from non-English speaking countries. At the end of 2002, it was estimated that 32% of internet users were non-native English speakers. This figure is constantly rising. In response, businesses have quickly become aware of the benefits of website localization.
Website localization is the process of modifying an existing website to make it accessible, usable and culturally suitable to a target audience. Website localization is a multi-layered process needing both programming expertise and linguistic/cultural knowledge. If either is missing, the chances are that a localization project will encounter problems.
In the majority of cases it is the lack of linguistic and cultural input that lets a website localization project down. In order to give an insight into the impact culture has on website localization the following examples depict areas in which a solid understanding of the target culture is necessary.
Language in Website Localization
Having a Portfolio on the Internet Can Help you Infiltate the Workforce
February 26, 2008
If you’re an up and coming graphic/web designer just out of university, you’ll know it’s quite hard to break into the workforce. You have to contact employers one by one, spend your time traveling and lugging your portfolio to their offices. Well, things have changed, and for the better let me tell you. Now you can make your own on-line portfolio on the Internet, and send its web page address to numerous design companies at once so they can all see your work easily. You don’t even have to leave your house and organizations all over the world can access your work easily.
Individual businesses will get to know your particular style and your capabilities. It’s exactly like having an interview but with no schedules to have to adhere to and they don’t have to meet you in person! You might even consider leaving your MSN address so people can conference with you instantly. As the quality of web sites are reaching great heights, you can exhibit very detailed artworks in full color and if you gain a little technical knowledge (easily attained) you can even make them interactive. You can also have links to graphics sites that you admire giving employers and potential clients knowledge about what truly drives you.
Buying a Video Card
February 25, 2008
Buying a Video Card
by: Jared Strop
Stunning visuals don’t have to cost an arm and a leg with cheap graphics cards (aka video cards). Unless you are a hardcore gamer, you don’t need to have the best of the best and a cheap graphics card will do you just fine. Now I’m not saying you should skimp on getting a good video card, but find one that fits your needs.
For example, a work computer should just have integrated graphics on the motherboard. Integrated graphics means that it’s already built into the motherboard without having to get anything extra so it’s perfect for workstations. On the other hand, a serious gamer needs to get a good video card that can handle anything a game can throw at it.
Heh, I’m guessing you aren’t here because you need a cheap graphics card for your work computer. You are looking for a good video card, right? Well, you have two options: an expensive card could let you play all the games with all the settings on high or you could get a decent one that can handle games on the low or medium settings.
Good Domain Names Make Your Dreams Memorable
February 24, 2008
“What was the name of that website? It was good. It has something to do with…”
Is your web site like many others?
Domain names always on the tip of a visitor’s tongue, but not quite memorable enough?
Your choice of domain name needs to be easy to remember, as well as focused enough that your visitor will know right away what your site is about.
A Few Rules
Some rules do apply when deciding on a domain name:
Choosing A Domain Name
Choosing good domain names is almost as important as choosing your actual business (see our Startup Ideas page).
There are many different schools of thought when it comes to picking good domain names.
Some say to choose a short, concise name.
Some like numbers in the name, some don’t.
Dont Submit Your Website To Any Search Engines
February 24, 2008
We all want to get our websites high up in the search enignes but how do you do it? One thing you shouldn’t bother doing is submit your site to any search engines. Not Google, not Yahoo!, not AltaVista. Sound a bit strange? Read on…
Submitting to all the search engines
Submitting your website to every search engine is an incredibly time-consuming process. There are hundreds and hundreds of them out there - no doubt, you’ve come across the companies who’ll submit your website to 1000 search engines for you.
Search engine professionals know that the vast majority of these search engines have a very low usage rate and will drive hardly any traffic your way. In fact, it’s only a handful of search engines that drive the majority of traffic from search engines to websites.
The major search engines
Some of the most important search engines, probably accounting for over 90% of the search engine market, are:
- Google - Yahoo! (released earlier this year) - MSN - Teoma - Fast - AltaVista
Don’t submit to these search engines
Cheap & Easy Online Marketing
February 23, 2008
A successful online business takes more than a website?a lot more! When I ask people if they have an online business, many people tell me they are creating their website. That’s good news except I get the feeling they think that is all they have to do to have a successful online business. Nothing could be farther from the truth!
A major search engine like google.com will have over 8 billion websites in their database. That’s right! Eight Billion! In order to be found on the Internet, just having a website won’t cut it. A web presence is just the start of a long, never-ending journey. Driving traffic to your website must become an overwhelming obsession. The more traffic you drive, the more sales you will make. So how do you drive traffic to a website?
There are hundreds of ways to drive traffic to your website. They start with the free and easy ones like free online classified ads, email signature lines, and link exchanges. Then, you have the more complicated and expensive methods like website optimization, online advertising and email campaigns. Where to start? With the cheapest and easiest first unless you have a lot of capital to launch your website.
How To Prevent Disappointing Ebay Auctions
February 22, 2008
How To Prevent Disappointing Ebay Auctions
by: Greg Lietz
You should be able to find several indispensable facts about eBay in the following paragraphs. If there’s at least one fact you didn’t know before, imagine the difference it might make.
The information about eBay auctions presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about eBay or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.
Many first time eBay sellers have one thing in common - their eBay auctions flop. Many of them flop time and time again, with the seller never understanding what is going wrong. The seller ends up doing hours of research looking for the perfect item to sell, gets the auction set up, and waits for the bidding to begin. Hours go by and no bids are placed. Days go by, and there are still no bids - or there are very low bids. Finally the auction ends, and it turns out to be a total failure. Considering the huge number of sellers who run eBay auctions, there are specific things you must do, and specific things you must not do if you are to be successful.
